Chapter 2: Suspicion and Secrets
Na so my body come stand. I never see this boy before. This playground, na people for our area wey get shop join hand build am, so I sabi almost all the children wey dey come play here.
For our area, children dey greet elders, play together, but new face no dey common for our small playground. E get as e be. My mind no rest. I dey observe the boy as e waka go one corner. I dey wonder if I dey overthink—maybe na just stubborn pikin. But something no still clear. Something just dey tell me say make I no dull myself.
I come dey suspect say maybe the boy dey work with people wey dey carry pikin waka. I just carry my daughter go house. As we reach, I tell her make she no go that playground for now, make she no talk to that boy, and make she no chop anything wey e give am or follow am go anywhere. My daughter just nod, she gree.
I look her well, rub her head, and say, "You hear? If anybody—even if dem say na your friend—bring sweet, no collect. Even if dem call you say I dey find you, no follow!" She gree again, but I fit see say she dey think.
Few days later, my daughter just tell me say she see the boy dey lead bakery madam pikin, the one wey dey live for opposite, go somewhere. But she remember wetin I tell am, so she no follow them.
She look me for eye, hold my hand small, like pikin wey get secret. Her hand dey shake small, voice low, as if she dey fear say she go enter trouble. "Daddy, I see dem go behind the big tree, but I no go." I pat her back, thank God for protection.